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Web Date is a basic online dating service that has no-frills, but it is also one of the few that is also honestly free.
However, that does lead to a solid case of “getting what you paid for.” There are some advantages to these bare-bones and free sites, namely that they will work fast on any device. This may be why Web Date has developed such an unusual and defined demographic. The sad thing is that this very serviceable site may be on its way out the door. Here is a closer look at the site.
First Impressions
Web Date scores 121,276 in Alexa for all websites, showing a drop of over 11,000 places within the past year. It is ranked 42,018 in the US for all websites on Alexa.com. Over the past few years, while membership has fallen off some, since 2013 it is showing a declining pattern that almost means that there is no one showing up at all on the site. That is a deceptive interpretation. While there may not be enough activity to register on Alexa, it is showing activity primarily between the US and Turkey.
The bonuses of the site are that it is:
- It’s free
- It’s easy to use (because there are no confusing frills)
- It is mobile-friendly, but not designed for mobile devices
- Basic navigation and not a lot to draw down your resources
This site is designed like a throw-back to the websites from 10 years ago and that is what you really want in a dating site. Without all the tests and videos and forums what you get is an incredibly focused and fast site. You sign up, you create your profile (or not) and you search for people in your area. The site is equally popular with men and women in their late 20s and 30s.
Features
The emphasis at Web Date is on casual dating. The basic search options are typical – age, zip code, sex and some specific selections in regards to relationship status as well as religious affiliation. You can upload multiple pictures, message, chat email and instant message members. One of the surprising things about Web Date is that you can rate people’s profiles. You give them a star rating and that rating will become a part of what shows when they appear in a search result (an average of all the ratings they have received, not just your rating of them). While they advertise that you can search all over the world for someone on their site, the basic searches are going to only return people in the US, Canada and Turkey; although there is a smattering of other countries represented.
Price and membership
Web Date is 100% free, not just free to sign up for, but also free to use. There are no advanced features that you have to pay for. The terms and conditions allow you to delete your account easily, but you cannot hide or suspend your account. The site offers little beyond the boilerplate features of a basic dating site, but for free – you shouldn’t expect much. You can’t even buy your way out of a bad profile rating by other users, in many ways one of the refreshing qualities of this site is what you see is what you get.
Conclusion
Once upon a time, Web Date was a solid little dating site that didn’t promise more than it could deliver. It was free and worked on multiple platforms. Despite it never breaking the top 100,000 in Alexa, it definitely carved out its own niche. It remains an active, free and streamlined service; it just may be that its niche has become so narrowly defined that there isn’t much appeal to attract more users to it. The unusual connection between Turkey and the US in its Alexa report suggests that this is a focus. You are welcome to use the site, in fact you may even enjoy browsing around, but your selection may be oddly limited. Fortunately, this is not a fee-based site. If the stats continue their downward trend, within a year or two there won’t even be its niche demographic interacting with it too.
